This invention relates to toys which make sound when they are moved. The sound is produced by a plurality of devices embedded in the toy, each of which mechanically produces sound as the toy moves. The toy is in the shape of a dog bone. The toy does not require a battery power source.
A hollow plastic baseball with external openings to allow air flow therethrough (a WHIFFLE type ball) carrying a single sound-producing tube (hereinafter a xe2x80x9csound tubexe2x80x9d), is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,875. The subject ball includes a single sound tube, and sound is produced by the tube only when the sliding whistle is moved along the tube by gravity, or by the forces involved in throwing the ball. Accordingly, the ball will emit noise only when the tube is properly oriented relative to the ground, or thrown in a manner to create movement of the sliding whistle. The result is that the ball will only emit substantial amounts of sound if it is handled purposefully so as to create the sound. However, such particular handling requirements defeats the purpose of a ball, which is to allow free play therewith. Accordingly, that ball is unsatisfactory for a play ball which emits playful or fanciful sounds.
The sound-producing devices used in this invention preferably include a movable member which is moved by gravity as the orientation of the member changes by reason of movement of the toy. These sound-producing devices may be oriented such that the movement of the movable members of the devices occurs along transverse axes, which increases the likelihood of sound occurrence, regardless of the manner in which the toy is moved. For example, three sound-producing devices can be arranged along substantially orthogonal axes, which ensures that sound will be produced upon virtually any rolling motion of the toy.
This invention features a toy which emits sounds as it is moved, comprising: a toy body; and a plurality of mechanically-operated sound tubes carried within the toy body, each sound tube including a sliding whistle which moves along the tube by the force of gravity, and each sound tube lying along a longitudinal axis, in which the axes are transverse to one another, so that the sound tubes emit sound when the toy is moved along various axes.
In a preferred embodiment, there are three said sound tubes, and the three axes are orthogonal. The toy is preferably generally in the shape of a xe2x80x9cdog bonexe2x80x9d, with an elongated central section and bulbous sections at each end thereof, each shaped generally as a thick disk, and the ends of each sound tube are located at the toy surface in an indented area, to inhibit the sound tubes from contacting a surface against which the toy is contacted.
Preferably, the sound tubes are entirely embedded within the toy body, and the ends of each sound tube are exposed to free air. The toy body may be hollow, and made from a pliable material. In that case, the toy may further include means for tightly holding the ends of each sound tube proximate the surface of the toy body, which may be accomplished with a lip formed in the toy body, which partially overlays the end of each sound tube. The lip may lie below the apparent surface of the toy body, to inhibit the ends of the tubes from contacting a surface against which said toy is contacted.
In a preferred embodiment, this invention features a toy which emits sounds as it is moved, comprising: a toy body of generally a dog-bone shape; and three substantially orthogonal mechanically-operated sound tubes carried within said toy body, each said sound tube including a sliding whistle which moves along said tube by the force of gravity, and each said sound tube lying along a longitudinal axis, in which said axes are substantially orthogonal to one another, so that said sound tubes emit sound when said toy is moved along various axes; wherein said toy body includes six indented areas, and in which the ends of each said sound tube are located at the toy surface in an indented area, to inhibit the sound tubes from contacting a surface against which said toy is contacted.
In a more specific embodiment, this invention features a toy which emits sounds as it is moved, comprising: a hollow toy body made from a pliable material; and three substantially orthogonal mechanically-operated sound tubes carried within said toy body, each said sound tube including a sliding whistle which moves along said tube by the force of gravity, and each said sound tube lying along a longitudinal axis, in which said axes are substantially orthogonal to one another, so that said sound tubes emit sound when said toy is moved along various axes; wherein said toy body includes six indented areas, and in which the ends of each said sound tube are located at the toy surface in an indented area, to inhibit the sound tubes from contacting a surface against which said toy is contacted; wherein said toy body includes a lip below its apparent surface, said lip partially overlaying the ends of each said sound tube, to tightly hold the ends of said sound tubes proximate said surface at said indented areas.